Combination palette and paint holder



July 18, 1961 D. DOUGLAS 2,992,501

COMBINATION PALETTE AND PAINT HOLDER Filed April 22, 1959 INVENTOR. DAVID DoueLAs gmwmm ATTORNEY 2,992,501 COMBINATION PALETI'E AND PAINT HOLDER David Douglas, 1119 Lincoln Blvd, Manitowoc, Wis. Filed Apr. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 808,223 2 Claims. (Cl. 41--4) This invention relates to compartmentalized holders for liquids and more particularly to a combination palette and paint holder adapted for use in a so-called paintby-number painting kit comprising a panel having a picture outlined thereon for painting by a plurality of different colored paints.

An object of this invention is to provide a paint holder having a plurality of sealed yet readily accessible compartments for packaging a plurality of different colored paints.

Another object is to provide such a paint holder which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, is unbreakable, transparent, and can be used conveniently with no danger of upsetting.

A further object is to provide a paint holder which also serves as a palette for mixing paints and is further adapted for holding a paint brush when not in use.

These objects are attained by a paint holder comprising a molded plastic sheet having a plurality of integrally formed plastic containers depending therefrom and serving to support the holder. Each container has a plastic cap pivotally mounted on the holder by a plastic strap formed integrally with the sheet and caps. The caps have a depending central portion with a raised annular surface thereon which is compressed slightly inside the container to seal the contents therein.

A tray may be formed in the sheet to provide a convenient area for mixing paints and a brush holder comprising a raised portion with a horizontal opening may also be formed in the sheet to provide a convenient means for storing the paint brush when not in use.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paint holder embodying my invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side and end elevation views, re spectively, of the paint holder shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2.

While this invention is particularly adapted for use in so-called paint-by-number kits, it should be understood that its usefulness is not limited to such applications.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the paint holder shown therein comprises a flat sheet supported by a plurality of spaced containers 12 fastened thereto and depending thereform in which various colored paints or other contents can be confined. Each container 12 is provided with a cap 14- fastened to sheet 10 by flexible strips 15. The entire holder is preferably made of a suitable plastic in one piece with sheet 10, container 12, caps 14 and strips 15 formed integrally by injection molding. While various plastics may be used depending on the liquids to be packaged, it has been found that a holder made from polyethylene is particularly well adapted for packaging the oil base paints commonly used in paint-by-number kits. Polyethylene, while not completely transparent, is sufficiently translucent to enable the user to distinguish the various colors without opening the containers.

Caps 14 (FIG. 4) have a depending central portion 16 "ice and a depending peripheral edge 18 forming a circular groove 20 in which the upper edge 22 of container 12 seats when the cap is shut. An annular ridge 24 on cap portion 16 seats in an annular groove 26 in the inside surface of the container wall to lock the cap in the container and thereby seal the contents therein.

Thus, it is seen that by the use of a holder embodying my invention, a plurality of diiferent colored paints can be individually sealed in separate compartments for long periods of time with little danger of leakage or breakage due to handling. When the paints are to be used the cap on the container holding the desired color is simply opened to receive the brush. The integral construction not only prevents lost caps and spillage due to upsetting of the containers but is also relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further refinement of my invention is the provision of a mixing tray 28 and brush holder 30 molded into sheet 10 as shown. Tray 28 having vertical side walls 32 provides a convenient area for mixing different colored paints to provide a particular shade. Similarly, brush holder 30 provides a convenient place for storing a paint brush when not in use. The brush is simply inserted in opening 34 in the holder with the working end (which may have wet paint thereon) extending over the edge of the sheet out of contact with both the holder and the surface on which the holder rests.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein. For example, while the tongue and groove engagement of cap and container with the annular groove and ridge for locking the cap shut provides an excellent seal, it has been found that a satisfactory seal can be provided by using a cap having only a depending portion 16 with a ridge 24 having a diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of container 12 so that it will be compressed slightly inside the container. Thus, my invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paint holder comprising, a molded plastic sheet having a plurality of integrally formed plastic containers depending therefrom and serving to support said holder, a removable plastic cap having a central portion depending therefrom which extends inside said containers, a raised annular surface on said depending central portion of slightly greater diameter than the inside diameter of said containers to lock said caps in place and thereby seal the paint in said containers, and a plurality of flexible plastic straps interconnecting and formed integrally with said sheet and said caps to thereby pivotally mount said caps on said holder.

2. A paint holder according to claim 1 in which there is a raised portion formed on said sheet having a horizontal opening therethrough in which a paint brush may be inserted for convenient storage during periods of disuse.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,446,741 Faber Feb. 27, 1923 2,166,616 Wallace July 18, 1939 2,565,912. Davis Aug. 28, 1951 2,687,157 Cowan Aug. 24, 1954 2,756,530 Nelson July 31, 1956 2,830,396 Gowland Apr. 15, 1958 

